Just Don't
by wordlytreasure
Summary: Five times where Tony forced Bruce to do something against his will, and the one time he forced back. A Tony/Bruce series of short fics. EPILOGUE IS NOW UP. THANKS EVERYONE!
1. Chapter 1

Instance #1

It started, really, back in the lab.

Back when all their voices rose angrily at each other and threats and accusations flew like well aimed bullets. Tony Stark had had the time of his life taking the piss out of his spangled target, riling up the good captain into a frenzy. Everyone had been supremely on edge and that amused him. It pissed him off, sure, but Tony was never one to take anything super seriously.

It was when Nick Fury threatened to escort Bruce out of the room that Tony started paying real attention. "You rented out my room", had been the sarcastic reply (that's something Tony really admired in his lab partner. Despite everything, the man had a sense of humor). Nick said something about it being just in case.

And that's when the real bomb hit.

Tony liked Bruce the moment their eyes met. It was more than just being able to talk shop with someone on par with, or even smarter than, himself. That was a miracle in its own right. And it wasn't his self-effacing, nervous, sarcastic humor or the way he threw himself into his work. Tony knew plenty of guys like that. No, it was Bruce's smile. The fact that the man could smile, even if it was forced. He knew who the "other guy" was, and what he could do, and how badly NYC had suffered. But he thought maybe Bruce had a lid on it. And really, Tony was very curious. He prodded and dug and teased, not really hoping to see it happen, but testing the waters, so to speak. And through the process of elimination, he had come to the conclusion that Bruce Banner was either the calmest motherfucker on the planet, or he smoked a LOT of weed. Or both. Probably both.

"You can't kill me! Believe me, I tried!"

Tony felt all the air leave his lungs at once. All eyes were on the frantic doctor, no longer looking in control at all. In fact, he was shaking. "I got low. I didn't see a way out, so…I put a bullet in my mouth. And the other guy spit it back out."

He hadn't really heard what came after that. Until Captain America picked their quarrel up again, all Tony could hear in his mind was the confession. I put a bullet in my mouth. I didn't see a way out….

Dear god, Bruce had tried to kill himself.

Now that a couple months had passed, most of New York was up and running again, he had done a few publicity runs as Iron Man, and his attention could be turned full tilt back onto his tower, now called the Avengers Tower, Tony found Bruce's words running through his head again. After the Chitauri were wiped out and Loki taken wherever the hell Thor took him, the remaining Avengers had met in the smoking ruins of Stark Tower to tentatively celebrate their first real victory. Only Tony had gotten drunk. After that, they had gone their separate ways. Steve had taken off to see what America had become in his absence. Natasha and Clint were off on some couple's retreat, after vehemently denying their "relations". And Bruce had stayed long enough to check the new blueprints for bugs, then said his goodbyes and headed out to some remote location that he refused to tell anyone about.

Tony, of course, tracked his every move.

It was well past two a.m. wherever Bruce Banner was now, which looked, from JARVIS's monitors, to be some kind of jungle. Tony hadn't been sleeping too well anyway, so he figured he'd watch his friend (his GOOD friend) for a while. Bruce was still awake, hunched over some small device and wincing as he drew drop after drop of his own blood and fed it to the machine. No wonder he was fine with pointy objects. He wished he'd noticed all the small scars on Bruce's hands before, all the spots where he jabbed himself in his attempts at a cure. The smaller man sighed, wiped some sweat off his brow, and continued on. It was deathly quiet on both ends.

If he could help it, Tony didn't like to think too deeply about things. Cap'n wasn't wrong when he accused him of being all about style. He liked parties and good times and laughing and being the center of attention. Deep thinking was meant for psychiatrists, and he was FAR from that.

But Bruce made him think.

A lot.

And he didn't like it. He hated it, actually. He hated how sad the man looked, all alone in his makeshift lab with dirty instruments (second hand, no doubt), stabbing himself over and over and over and OVER again, day in and day out, because he thought he was too dangerous to be around normal people. He hated how that made him feel. It was a mix of guilt, pity, and some other strange emotion that Tony didn't bother to think about just in case. He especially hated to see that the gun had never left Bruce's side. How many times had he attempted suicide? How many more times would he try?

Standing suddenly, he walked towards where his suit was. "JARVIS, hold my calls. I'm going out."

* * *

It was not an easy task to hide the Hulk and still be able to help people.

In the end, Bruce Banner had chosen a remote island in the Philippines where he had once visited and had befriended the tribe. They were in desperate need of clean water and a steady malaria antidote, so he stayed and provided that for them, in exchange for them never telling anyone where he was. They referred to him as a god in human form, a visage of their demon god of anger and fury, and damn near worshipped the ground he walked on. He really hated it, but it was better than nothing. And besides, something about hot, steaming tropical air seemed to calm the "other guy".

That was part of his latest test. See what outside variables could influence the Hulk's behavior for the better. He hadn't given up on a cure, far from it. Someday, he kept telling himself. Someday. But he was part of a team now, albeit begrudgingly. And like it or not, they needed the Hulk. So anything that could help focus the monster's mind would be welcome. The pinpricks to his wrist had long since stopped bothering him. Not enough to trigger him, but just enough for a workable sample. Bruce had learned the hard way which was which.

"You do realize you're trying to do complicated science on a 5th grader's chemistry set, right?"

Bruce jumped, knocking over a few vials and cursing under his breath. He glared up into the insufferably smug face of Iron Man himself. "It's not the best idea to sneak up on me." Bruce took a few breaths, trying to stop his hands from shaking. It's Tony. It's a friend. It's alright. Keep it together Bruce. "What do you want, and how did you find me?"

Tony shrugged, taking the faceplate off and unsuiting a little. "Oh you know, I was in the neighborhood. Been tracking you since you left, that kind of thing." He grimaced. "Doc, of all the shitholes you've lived in, this one's the shittiest."

Bruce sighed, relaxing a little. "You're not here on business?"

"Not really. I just….you know." Tony motioned to his equipment again. "I saw what you were working with and said to myself, wow. The man can do SO much better." He chuckled. "What are you working on?"

Despite himself, Bruce smiled uneasily back. "Ways to control myself once…" He didn't need to finish. They both knew what he meant.

Trying to liven it up a little, he offered Tony a seat. "Getting a lock on what makes my blood tick is difficult, given circumstances and how irradiated my blood is, but I have noticed that certain things affect it more than others—"

"It'd be easier with a better lab." Tony gave him a strange look, halfway between a smirk and a frown. "It's a shame you don't have any billionaire playboy philanthropist best friends willing to let you stay with them till your work's done. Pity."

"Ah." Bruce tried to hide his surprise. "So that's why you're really here." He sighed. "It's a…generous offer, Tony. It really is. But….Until the world needs my kind of 'talent', it's much better for me to stay out here and—"

"And what?" Something in Tony's voice didn't sound right. Was he…worried? He scowled. "Sit here far away from the world and hope the Hulk will go away if you ask nicely? Sit here playing with baby's first laboratory and praying to find a centrifuge in the garbage?" Tony leaned forward, grabbing the gadget he'd been working on. "You're smart but no one is smart enough to make a miracle from this crap."

Bruce clenched his fist a little. "It doesn't matter what you say. I can't go back."

"They're calling you a hero, you know."

He shook his head. "They wouldn't if they knew me."

Tony sighed heavily. "Oh drop the pity party, Banner. You're incredible and you know it. Or if you don't know it, I do, and I think you need to come back to New York with me and stop living like a hobo and enjoy the kind of life you SHOULD be having."

He shook his head again. "….Why are you doing this, Stark? Why do you care so much what I do or where I live?"

Tony hesitated for a little while, searched for the right answer, then dropped his hands to his side. "Would you believe I'm lonely?"

Bruce laughed at that. "Not even a little."

"Just think about it? Please?" Tony got down on one knee and mock-begged. "It's so lonely with my billions of dollars and huge mansion."

"Alright. I'll think about it." Bruce pushed him good-naturedly. "But you have to promise to stop watching me. That's only slightly disturbing."

"I make no promises."

* * *

"Sir?"

"What JARVIS? I am sort of busy."

If artificial intelligence could sigh exasperatedly, JARVIS would've ten times by now. Really, he was being a pain in the ass. "Sir, forgive me, but I just don't see how this is fiscally responsible."

"Well this is why I'm me and you're a computer."

The room was almost completely empty, and brand sparkling new. Soft, soothing colors ran in patterns on the walls, in what that old feng shui lady said would help clear the mind. It had taken him a week to get it built from beginning to end, and now that it was done, Tony couldn't help but grin in excitement. It was perfect.

"Sir." JARVIS was going to earn himself a time out for this. "You do realize the danger, yes?"

Tony growled a little. "I actually think everyone is being jumpy and creeped out for nothing. I know this guy. He's not dangerous. And if he needs to blow off steam, he can come in here."

"Won't he see this as a cage?"

"Absolutely not." Tony glared at the console. "And no one's going to even say the word cage when Dr. Banner gets here, got it? He's more than a guest, JARVIS. He's going to be living with us for a while."

"What?" Pepper had never liked the idea of having Bruce in the same house as her. She'd been against the idea from beginning to end. It wasn't because she hated Bruce, it was for the same cowardly reasons that everyone else seemed to have about him. "Ok, Tony? We never once talked about this. That thi-um…Dr. Banner is living with us? Since when?"

Tony rubbed his forehead. "Peps, can we NOT do this? You didn't see his house. Dude needs a place to stay very, very badly. And also, I'm determined to get him drunk. I can't believe I'm the only one who thinks that'd be hilarious."

Pepper grabbed his hand. "Tony, I know you like him. You like him a lot. But even you can't tell me he isn't dangerous."

Grabbing her shoulders, Tony stared right into Pepper's eyes. "He's. Not. Dangerous." He turned back to the console. The temperature read a balmy 90 degrees. Warmth seemed to calm the beast. Duly noted. "Bruce is one of the smartest men I've ever known, and…" His voice wavered. "The Hulk saved my life. You don't know him like I do. None of you even bother to get to know the man behind the beast."

Pepper's hand found his hand again, gently this time. He didn't have to look at her to know she was on the verge of tears. "What's the real reason, Tony? This isn't like you at all, and I'm worried."

"He tried to kill himself again." He lowered his head.

The call had come, once again, in the middle of the night. This time, Tony had been asleep, but had woken up completely when he heard who it was. Bruce's voice on the other end of the phone sounded shaky, distant, like he'd just woken up from a horrible nightmare. He'd just gotten out of the Hulk, he said, and though his mind was always a little foggy after an incident, he remembered the gun. He remembered feeling so alone, and the failure of his latest attempt at a cure had made him….there was a long pause, with heavy breathing and the sound of choked, muffled crying.

Tony had bought the plane ticket right then and there. He didn't take no for an answer. In fact, he said, if Bruce refused, he'd just have to take him by force.

Once all that was done, Tony had poured himself a very stiff drink and stared into space for a few hours.

* * *

His jaw fell.

"I…don't know what to say."

"Well you could start with a thank you."

After an almost 24 hours flight back to the states, Bruce was exhausted, mentally and physically. The ever present pressure on his brain had flared during the flight, but it was terrifying enough that his rational mind had held and he spent a few hours holed up in the bathroom. Bruce had begged, BEGGED Tony to reconsider, to use reason, to do anything but make him come to the states. The Hulk had been acting up lately, and now Tony wanted him to stay in his house?

But the room was comfortable, and Tony's company was very welcome. Pepper had been on edge, but still polite to him. A nice girl, he thought. In some ways, smarter than Iron Man himself.

But when Tony had grabbed his shoulder and led him to a locked room, he hadn't been prepared for what lie ahead.

The laboratory was flawless. Everything he could ever want or think of was there, shining under the harsh lights. He hadn't seen a lab this beautiful since before his accident, and nothing since could compare. He turned back to Tony, shaking a little. "You really want me in here? It'll be like a bull in the china shop."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Nah, that's what the Hulk Out room is for." Sensing Bruce's confusion, he continued. "Say something isn't going your way and you absolutely have to hulk out and let off steam. You go in there, smash around, and boom! You're back to normal in record time. You let off steam, and New Yorkers don't have to worry about falling debris."

"…you built a whole room just for me?"

Tony nodded. "It looks a little fruity thanks to some bad feng shui advice but-"

Bruce's words completely failed him. "But…I….T-Tony, that's just-you shouldn't do that, I'm not—"

His team mate slapped him good-naturedly on the back. "Shut up. Of course I did. This is our tower, after all. And God willing, you'll be spending a good chunk of time here." Tony smiled a little to himself and continued a little softer, "If I have anything to say about it, you'll never have to be alone again."

His eyes widened. It was official, Tony Stark had gone insane. "B-But—"

"Banner. Just…just don't." Tony shook his head. "I know you don't think you deserve friendship or companionship, and I know you've convinced yourself to stay alone, but cut the bullshit. Believe it or not, I like you. There are people who care about you. And you're never, ever gonna find a cure sitting on your ass in the jungle." He slipped an arm around the smaller man's shoulders. "Stay here. With me. With people. And I promise you, the full power of the Stark name will be thrown into helping you out. Ok?"

Before either of them knew what was happening, Bruce had wrapped his deceptively strong arms around Tony in a hug. "No one's ever…. I mean…I…Th-thanks."

Nothing else was said about it for the rest of the day, but Tony woke up the next morning to breakfast already cooking, and a big smile on Bruce's face.

* * *

A/N: I love this pairing more than I need to breathe. Fuck Cap/Iron Man. The bromance between Tony and Bruce is so amazing it kills me that their is so little fics about them.


	2. Chapter 2

Instance #2

All things considered, Pepper could live with Bruce Banner.

He was sweet, kind, very gentle, and very careful around her and around the house. It was like he was afraid of touching anything, like a puppy who'd been kicked his whole life and wasn't used to nice things. And that was, admittedly, very cute. He was always polite to her, even going so far as to insist on helping the janitorial team clean up at night. "I never sleep anyway," he said with a small smile. She wasn't sure if he was joking or no.

Bruce was fine.

It was the other guy she didn't like.

She brought this up to Tony the night he moved in. It had ended in an argument.

"You're as bad as Fury," Tony had spat at her, fairly throwing his toothbrush down. "I'm getting really sick of everyone treating him like he's some kind of—"

"Of what? Monster?" She crossed her arms. "Team mate or not, he sort of is. I don't mind you helping him find a cure, because the sooner that green monster's gone, the better."

He had slammed the door in her face, refusing to come out until she gave up and left the room.

Bruce, apparently, agreed with her.

"I understand how you feel, Ms. Potts." She had volunteered to help him in the lab, mostly to get Tony to talk to her again. He reached for a wrench, and she provided one. "You're not wrong. I AM a monster. Frankly, I don't understand what Tony's thinking, asking me to stay here."

She smiled a little. "At least you're okay….you know…talking about it."

He shrugged. "Not really. It's just how I think all the time."

* * *

"Brucey?"

Bruce rolled his eyes behind his goggles and looked up. Tony was grinning from behind the glass with a wine bottle in one hand and two glasses in the other. He sighed. "Oh this has bad idea written all over it. Does Pepper know you're being stupid? Because I'll tell her."

"Oh you are both wet blankets." Tony sauntered into the lab, taking a seat right next to him and pouring them both a glass. "The tower's almost done. Thanks to you, we're a week ahead of schedule. This is more than enough cause for celebration." He handed him one, which Bruce promptly refused. Tony pushed it back. "Oh come on! One drink will NOT kill you."

"No, it'll kill you." Bruce grinned. "I'm bad enough sober. You do NOT want to see the other guy drunk."

Tony grinned wickedly. "Don't I?"

His eyes widened. "NO, Tony. That's an even worse idea."

Tony downed his glass and poured another. "You really need to lighten up, Banner. You're always so doom and gloom and down on yourself. It's kind of annoying." He jabbed him good-naturally. "I trust you enough. Don't believe in yourself, believe in me who believes in you. Or something like that."

Bruce gave him a look. "You're already drunk."

"Damn straight. Drink your glass."

He sighed heavily. "Pepper talked to me the other day, Tony. She…doesn't trust me."

His friend's face darkened. "What'd she say? Did she call you…something?" Another round of wine hit his glass, some splashing on the antiseptic surface. "Because she's being a bitch. Don't you DARE listen to a word she says. You're NOT a monster, you're NOT. I'll kill anyone who says so." He swayed a little. Yes, definitely drunk. "Bunch of ignorant jackasses don't know what they're talking about."

"TONY." He put a hand on his shoulder. "You're drunk. You don't know what you're talking about." Tony glared at him a little. "Pepper had every right to be worried. And…I agree with her. I don't want to be here for that reason exactly. For some reason, god knows why, you seem to think I can stay here and I can live normally, but you're WRONG." Tony opened his mouth to respond, but Bruce ignored him. "No, don't. Don't even try to refute that. It's TRUE." Somewhere in his head, the tell tale headache was starting. He clenched his fists and closed his eyes, trying to stave it off. "I c-can't do this Tony! You think you're being nice, but you're putting everyone and everything in danger having me here! What is WRONG with you? I just—"

"Stop." Tony had forgotten his glass and grabbed Bruce's face, pulling it close to his, resting his forehead on Bruce's own sweaty one. "I'm drunk, and you're riling yourself up." It was true. Bruce was shaking hard. "Just…just take a couple deep breaths, and look at me. Bruce. AT ME. Look at me."

He hesitated, then opened his eyes and slowly raised his eyes to stare into Tony's glassy brown eyes. "I have—I have to l-lea—"

"Just don't. Keep looking at me. You're ok."

The pain was getting worse. His head was pounding, and his vision was starting to swim. Fight. Had to fight. Couldn't do it now, not here. He'd kill Tony. Bruce grabbed onto Tony's shoulders, not aware that Tony grimaced at his strong grip. He just kept repeating "you're ok, you're ok", and was it Bruce's imagination, or did he brush aside his hair?

After an eternity (or what felt like one), Bruce began to breathe a little slower, loosening his grip, and slumped against the taller man's chest and just CRIED. That had been too close, far too close. "I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry…"

"Don't." Tony hugged him tight. "You're fine."

After he calmed down, Bruce sat back down and laid his head on the counter. Nothing was said for a while. Everything felt very jumbled and disconnected in his head, but he had a sneaking suspicion it had nothing to do with their close call. Any sane person would've run. Even someone as brave (and drunk) as Tony should've at least run off to suit up before dealing with him. But he hadn't. He had stayed. No, he did more than just stay. He actually…

"You know what?" Tony jerked his head towards him. Bruce mustered a weak smile. "I think I will take that drink."

* * *

A/N: wow, I'm so touched by all the awesome reviews! :) sorry this chapter so freaking short. Got a lot going on. but I promise a proper chapter next time!

also, I love whoever suggested calling this pairing "Brony" :)


	3. Chapter 3

Instance #3

Nick Fury really, REALLY hated Tony right now.

"You see this?" On the other side of the screen, a digitized version of Tony Stark waved his middle finger at him mockingly.

"Yeah, I see it." Nick set his jaw tight.

Tony smirked and pushed it into the camera a little. "Oh good, cuz I was afraid I hadn't made my point clear enough."

Nick shook his head. "Can we pretend to be adults for a little while, Tony?"

"Absolutely not. If being an adult means kicking Brucey boy out, no way." The picture flickered slightly. Tony was actively trying to cut their conversation short. "You listen good, Fury. We might be your precious little baby of a team, but you don't own us. And I am NOT giving you Bruce. He's helping me, and he's perfectly fine. Leave him alone."

Then the screen went black.

Nick Fury sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. He really hated that man. "Agent Hills?"

His new right hand looked up from her console. "Sir?"

"Prepare my jet and a few dozen men. Tony wants to do this the hard way."

* * *

Hawaii had been wonderful.

It had been a very strange experience, being somewhere beautiful without having a mission or someone to kill, but both Clint and Natasha had more than managed. They'd really gotten to know each other.

Somehow she suspected that was the whole point of Tony inviting the Avengers to their new HQ: To make fun of her and Clint mercilessly. Yes, love was for children. But really, after everything, she felt a little childish. And it had been wonderful. So when Tony poked Clint and jeered about how his nether regions were the property of the USSR, she could almost forgive him.

Almost.

"How do you two kids like the tower?" Tony had gotten started drinking well before either of them arrived, and Bruce and Steve hadn't even shown up yet. She rolled her eyes in annoyance, but he ignored it. "The Avengers tower, a beacon of light for all mankind. I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about it." He fairly radiated pride. "There's rooms for all sorts of stuff. Hawkeye, remind me to show you your archery course."

Clint's eyes lit up. "Are you serious?"

"Course I am. Serious as a heart attack." He leered at Natasha. "You can always join him there, you know. I put your rooms close together on purpose." Tony laughed a little too loudly. "Then there's Steve's room, which I left blank for him to decorate however he wants. I didn't know what nostalgic shit he wanted, so I'll leave the decorating to him."

Natasha nodded a little. An arrogant prick he might be, but he took everyone into consideration. "What about Bruce? Don't suppose you built him a room, did you?"

"Where is he anyway?" Clint grabbed a drink that smelled too strong for Natasha's liking. "You said he'd be here."

Natasha really doubted the good doctor would actually show up. He was a sweetheart, but that was his problem. "Is he in hiding again? I feel kind of bad for him, always putting himself away like tha-"

"Actually…" Tony smiled. "He's been living here for two months."

Both of them jumped out of their seats, shocked. "What?" Clint shook his head. "Does Fury know? Who did you have to bribe to let him stay here?"

"Tony, do you have any idea how many people you put in danger!"

"What if he lost it? It could be the Harlem Massacre all over again!"

"And you just spent millions of dollars fixing this place up! He could tear it apart like it's NOTHING!"

Tony slammed his drink down. His face had turned as red as his suit. "Don't you EVER talk about him like that! He's better than you'll EVER be-"

"Ahem."

They all turned to the door. Apparently, Steve had arrived while they had been arguing, and Bruce had walked him in. The doctor looked like he was ready to crawl under a rock and die. Steve just glared at them. "Sorry I'm late, but I can see you started drinking without me." He patted Bruce on the back and walked in, with Bruce mumbling something under his breath and running out of the room. Tony swore and followed him out, slamming various doors just to be heard.

Natasha felt the Cap's eyes boring into her. She sighed. "Ten bucks says the tower won't last the night."

"You're on."

* * *

"Fuck her."

Bruce didn't like it when Tony got angry. It was almost too ironic to bear. "Look, Bruce, if she makes you uncomfortable, I can move her room-"

"Tony, you built Clint's room directly connected her to hers." Bruce had thrown himself, predictably, back into his search for a cure. Anything to keep his mind off things. "You can't feasibly uproot that room without wrecking our entire floor. Besides, she's ri-"

Tony smacked the table. "Goddamnit Banner, will you SHUT UP about that!" Bruce backed away a little. Tony growled under his breath. "How many different ways do I have to tell you to give yourself a break? I don't give even a shit if you hate yourself, got it?" He grabbed his shoulder, and Bruce flinched a little. He hadn't expected Tony to be so….He couldn't explain it, but it was strange to see him so riled up. "You're not the only one with low self-esteem, you got that? If I can get over it and move on-" And then Tony fell silent, dropping his arm and turning away.

Bruce wasn't sure if he should press the issue, but how many other times was he going to get a chance like this? He offered Tony a seat and asked quietly, "Tony?"

He sat down with a thud, running a hand through his messy black hair. "Two years ago, alright? The palladium in the arc reactor was…it was killing me. Like you so aptly said, I got low." He gave Bruce a knowing look. "Except, I tried everything to feel alive. Drinking, wild partying, fast cars….Pepper cried herself to sleep pretty much every night. It terrified me. Staring death in the face like that. But, I got over it." He sighed. "I get the WHY, Bruce. With my temper, having the controller grabbed from my hands drove me nuts. I can't imagine…..well, you know. But you are my best friend. And I don't make friends easy. And I am telling you to cut it out with putting yourself down like that."

An uncomfortable silence hung between them. That was far from what Bruce had expected. Someone as full of life as Tony….But then, he had attempted suicide nearly ten times now. It seems Tony knew this, or guessed at it. That was the problem with having two inhumanely smart people in the same room. Heaving a very heavy sigh, Bruce removed his glasses. "That's why you dragged me away from that jungle, isn't it? that's why you care so much. You wanted to make sure I….kept living. Is that it?"

Tony smiled wryly. "Kind of. Well, about 45% that reason. You didn't exactly hide that gun of yours when you came here. By the way, I confiscated that." Bruce groaned. He should've seen that coming. "But the real reason is, when I look at you, I see someone who hasn't enjoyed a single day of his life. Even before your little accident, am I wrong?" He had him there. Bruce shook his head. "Right. And I had quite the epiphany two years ago. I was all about enjoying life before that, but after…It's not just enjoying life. You have to love it. It's a gift. I know I sound like a sappy Hallmark card, but it's sort of true. Loving it makes dealing with the assholes of the world a million times more bearable because you know they're less happy than you." To Bruce's great surprise, Tony patted his hand. "You deserve at least a little bit of happiness, don't you think?"

Bruce couldn't help it. He smiled shyly, turning to look the other way. "Am…am I really your best friend?"

He could hear the grin in Tony's voice. "There we go. Finally, you're starting to get it. And yes, yes you are." Tony grabbed his chin and forced him to look at him. "And don't you forget it."

* * *

All Steve wanted was to get a drink of something that wasn't alcoholic.

But to his great shock, there was no sink in the bar, and according to that…THING talking from the speakers in the walls, the closest drink of water was the bathroom. But Tony's house was so big and so full of gadgets that bordered on magic, that Steve got lost with amazing swiftness. His head swam. "If I live to be 100, I don't think I'll ever catch up." He turned a corner, expecting to find the bathroom.

What he found was a weeping Pepper Potts.

"Ma'am?" Always the gallant one, Steve was at her side at once. They had only met once before, but she had left a good impression on him. Even with him being on Tony's good side now, he could still see she was far too good for him. "Anything I can do to help?"

Pepper just waved him off. "No…no…this is, this is my fault." A tear trailed down her cheek. "I should've….I never should have insulted the doctor to Tony's face, I was stupid, I…" Her voice cracked. "But he's drunk, so….so maybe it's just…." She buried her face in her arms and started to weep again.

Steve was very confused. "But what happened? What's wrong?"

"Tony and Bruce….in the lab…" She wiped her eyes. "I went looking for them, and I saw…." Another choked sob escaped. "I saw them kissing."

For a moment, it didn't register. Steve tilted his head. "Um, kissing what?"

Pepper looked at him like he was nuts. "Steve, each other. They were kissing each OTHER." She threw herself into his arm and cried harder. "I sh-should've known Tony had a crush on him. H-He never sh-shut up about Bruce…Ever….It's just not fair…."

Surely Pepper was mistaken. Two men kissing? Unheard of! Maybe in the dark places of the world where immoral things were allowed to happen, but…Steve shook his head, clearing the unpleasant thoughts away. That wasn't the issue. Whatever she saw had been bad enough to make her cry, and a crying woman was always in need of a hero. He held her tight, unsure of what to say, but rocking her back and forth slightly until she stopped crying and walked off, thanking him.

"Just doing my duty, ma'am."

* * *

Tony felt very threatened.

Pepper glared daggers at him. "Well? Answer my question. Did you, or did you not, kiss Bruce Banner?"

"First of all, Ms. Potts, it's almost one in the morning. Secondly, what I do with my lips is my business. and third, where do you get off spying on me?" He had, of course. She wasn't wrong. "But it's not what you think ok? The guy's…..I dunno, he needed…encouragement. Okay?" Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was rationalizing the kiss. It had happened so fast. It took both of them by surprise, and Bruce had been so embarrassed he had ran out of the room. Tony felt slightly guilty. Deep down, he knew he'd forced himself on the good doctor, and didn't really understand why. Till now, he'd always fancied himself straight as an arrow.

At any rate, Pepper wasn't buying it. "Oh, is that what you're calling it these days? is "encouragement" code for cheating? Because that's what it is Tony! That's cheating!" Her red and puffy eyes had no more tears left. He tried to reach out to her but she shied away. In a shaky voice, she whispered, "Do you even love him?"

"Don't." He grimaced. "Just…Don't. Don't say that. Don't even bring that up. That's waters I am NOT prepared to tread."

"Well do you?"

Tony floundered for words for a bit. "I-I mean, he-" His throat seized up on him. Of course he didn't. Right? "Not like I love YOU," he wheeled, giving her his most genuine smile."

She scoffed. "You never say you love me."

"Well I'm saying it now!" He raised his voice angrily, holding his head. "It's complicated and weird and stupid, and I regret doing it, okay? You win! Now be happy!"

Pepper just shook her head like she hadn't heard him at all. "Because if you don't, then you're lying to him. And if you do, you're lying to me. Either way, you'll end up alone."

And with that, she was gone.

* * *

A/N: oh my god. I always feel sort of weird and embarrassed when a story of mine gets this much attention :) I'm VERY grateful, you guys. keep 'em coming!

And also, sorry, but this pairing is "Brony" to me. It amuses me far FAR too much.

[EDIT]: please forgive the reupload. I just realized I had some grammar errors so I fixed em.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: WARNING! I will begin to layer on the angst in this one, mostly because I'm a heartless cruel bastard :)

* * *

Instance #4

Sometimes, the dreams stay pleasant.

Betty sits next to him in the garden behind her house, head resting on his shoulders. The sun is bright, the breeze is warm, and Bruce is happy. She'll say she loves him, he'll reply in same, and they'll share a kiss. If his luck holds out, that's as far as the dream gets.

Not tonight.

Tonight they talk briefly about the next day's big project: a gamma radiation experiment. He excitedly says he can't wait. She'll say she's proud of him.

And then her face will change, twisting from joy to horror.

And then, she'll die by his hand.

Bruce sat up in bed, sweating heavily and shaking. Betty was still alive, he told himself. Calm down. He wiped his face, putting his glasses on, and rushed from the room for some air.

Tony had insisted on giving him a balcony. Something about the view being unparalleled up here, and it would do a body good. And he had to admit, it was very nice up here. Leaning against the banister, Bruce took a few shaky breaths and attempted to clear his mind. the nightmares had been getting worse all week. The "other guy" sometimes came out in the middle of a particularly bad nightmare, so this trend was unfavorable to say the VERY least. He sighed.

This was all Tony's fault. He just knew it.

It had been a week since the...Well, Bruce didn't know what to call it. Hell, he didn't know how to feel about it, let alone how to define it. Their lips had touched (or rather, Tony's lips had touched his), Bruce's heartbeat had increased dramatically, and he had excused himself. The redness hadn't left his face for an hour. Was it a kiss? was that what it was supposed to be called? What Tony did with Pepper, that was kissing. What he and Betty...Bruce shook his head violently, trying to stave off those emotions. He couldn't think of Betty now. It made him too upset. It was too painful.

But the dreams had, somewhat, stopped since he was recruited for the Avengers, and he thought he was starting to get over it. Then Tony came along and brought them back. And sometimes it wasn't Betty who died. It was the Captain. It was Natasha. It was that little girl in India who had tricked him. It was everyone and everything innocent in his life that he loved.

Most disturbingly, Tony had featured in those dreams prominently.

The headache was starting. Bruce groaned in pain, rubbing his head to try and beg it to go away. No dice. "Shit shit SHIT." He tore his shirt off and dashed from the room, making a beeline for his "special" room. It was very late at night. Not even Tony stayed up this late. And he was angry with Tony. Very angry. He overstepped a line. Hulk smash puny-NO! Bruce punched the wall, fighting it. NO! Not yet! Just a little further. A flash of pain shot from his spine and spread through every nerve of his body, and he howled in agony. Almost there...almost there...

With a grunt of effort (as he had fairly doubled in size), he shoved his way through the door and locked it. Bruce would've sighed in relief, but by then the beast would NOT be ignored, and the last flash of cognizance Bruce had was,

"I'm gonna murder Tony for this."

* * *

"Pepper? That you?"

Tony had been having a very...weird dream. In it, he was mayor of his own island, and Pepper was his right hand. They ruled with a literally iron fist, and everything was peachy. But then the Hulk showed up. Not Bruce, the Hulk. And his roars were so real, Tony couldn't believe it was a dream. But then his eyes fluttered open, and he could still hear the roars. Then he was wide awake, and he could STILL hear the...

"Oh NO."

Throwing on a shirt, he made a mad dash for his suit room. "Talk to me JARVIS. What happened? where is he?"

"Sir, according to our security cameras, Dr. Banner had awoken from what I assume was a nightmare. He began losing control after that."

Tony swore loudly, messing up the combination lock a few times before getting it open. "Yeah, but where IS HE?"

JARVIS helpfully selected the Mach VI suit and readied it for his master. "He had the presence of mind to make it to the room you built, sir. His control would be breathtaking, had I the capacity to breathe."

"Ha ha, save the jokes for me, JARVIS." Tony suited up almost unconsciously, more focused on getting to the Hulk Out room ASAP. He had been feeling guilty all week, but this just took the cake. "I shouldn't have avoided him. He shouldn't have avoided me. We should've TALKED. Oh god, this is all my fault." Firing up a few of the boosters, he sped off through the halls, ignoring how his jets burned the carpet. Well, that sort of thing was bound to happen in a place like the Avengers tower. Before long, he stood outside the now dented door, and the roars were deafening. Poor guy. Tony forced his way in, taking in the scene ahead of him.

The Hulk's size, he would never get over. Mostly because it was beyond him how someone as small and meek as Bruce could ever, EVER hold something like this inside him. The Hulk was slamming against the walls, almost screaming in frustration. The beast couldn't figure out that the wall wasn't going to break, not the first time or the 1,430th time, and it pissed him off something awful. Tony sighed. "Hey, behemoth!" He flew up to the Hulk's eye line. "It's way too late to be pulling this crap. De-hulk and go to bed, or I'll have to ground y-OOF!" The Hulk had backhanded him into a wall, unamused and NOT in the mood to listen to some puny metal guy. Tony groaned. "Note to self: calibrate suit for Hulk punches." He got to his feet and flew back up again. "BRUCE. Calm down! Look, it's me!" He moved to take his helmet off.

"Sir, that may not be the best idea." Good ol' JARVIS.

Ignoring his robotic butler, Tony took his helmet off and grinned. "See? It's me! It's Tony!" The Hulk scrunched his face a little, as if trying to think, as if he recognized him. Good. "That's it! You know me, remember? We're teammates. We're roommates. We're best buds." Now certain the Hulk understood him, Tony ventured to touch the creature on the arm. "Attaboy, you can do it."

Somehow, he'd missed the memo that the Hulk could talk. His jaw nearly hit the floor. "Tony..." The Hulk picked him up roughly, turning him over like a gorilla. Thank god for my suit, Tony thought. This would kill anyone else for sure. The Hulk frowned. "Tony...fault. Tony's fault!" Letting out an ear-shattering roar, he smashed him into the ground and stood over him. "Your fault! Make Hulk mad!"

Tony could only see a bunch of stars in a black background for a while, and he only regained his bearings when the Hulk punched the ground near his head. With a yelp, he was up and back in the air, now staying clear of the creature's wrath. His helmet was totally decimated. Tony groaned and wiped away some blood that had trickled down his forehead. His fault? Why would-

And then it hit him.

Literally. He'd been distracted by his thoughts long enough for the Hulk to get a well aimed and freaking POWERFUL punch to Tony's stomach area, sending him hurtling into the far wall. There went his air again. Tony coughed violently, foam and blood dripping from his open mouth. Breathe, dammit! BREATHE! JARVIS piped in, "Sir, should I call the others?"

"No!" His voice sounded strange, gargled and throaty. "I can-I can do this! just-" And then he was in the air again, tossed like a naughty plaything by a very VERY angry cat. He tried to activate his jets, but even without his helmet he could tell two of them were down. He swore again. "B-Bruce! C'mon, you gotta calm down!" He maneuvered his way away from the beast just in time, crashing into the ground. His suit was hilariously unfit to fight his friend, and he knew it. He was stupid enough to get cocky, to get too comfortable around Bruce, to think yeah, he'll never hurt me, he's just a big softie. Tony swore over and over under his breath, trying to play dead. "Ok JARVIS, you can call the others."

The Hulk loomed over him, anger mixed with what looked a little like hurt on his face. Was that Bruce trying to get out? How did it work exactly? Where did Bruce go when the Hulk was out? Tony didn't know. And now, he wasn't sure he was gonna find out. He roared in triumph, holding Tony down against the floor, the entirety of his weight crushing his chest plate and, much to Tony's horror but not surprise, damaging the arc reactor. That was definitely Bruce, he thought with a wry smile. No faster way to kill me. Shakily, Tony placed his hand on the big green one holding him down. "Just promise me you won't feel guilty when you wake up, Bruce." Unconsciousness sounded really good right now, but Tony struggled to stay awake.

"What?" The Hulk tilted his head, snapped out of his murderous rage just long enough to hear and maybe comprehend. Then, his eyes traveled from Tony, to his arm, and something like a light bulb went off in the creature's head. The Hulk's face contorted into a horrified expression, howling, and he fell back, releasing Tony from his grip. Horrible, animalistic cries of sorrow echoed in his ears as Tony fell asleep.

* * *

"You had quite the close call, Mr. Stark."

Oh let this be a bad trip.

Tony moaned, and refused to open his eyes. If he opened his eyes and Nick Fury was standing over him, he swore on his mother's grave that he would strangle himself with his own IV tubes. "You better be a dream, Nick."

The other man laughed. "Sorry to disappoint." He could feel Nick sit down next to his bed. "You nearly died, you know. I thought Iron Man could handle some hard knocks, but..."

Tony shook his head. It hurt, and seemed strangely confined. "Didn't think to calibrate it for someone of his strength. I kinda thought...um..."

"Thought you could cure him." Tony's temper flared dangerously, but if Nick saw, he didn't care. "This is the exact reason I requested Bruce be handed over to SHIELD, Tony. It wasn't just for the safety of the city. It was for your safety. Let's face it, you are a dumbass." Nick smiled sadly. "You're right about Bruce, how he needs friends and to enjoy life and all that, but you're amazingly, shockingly wrong about the Hulk. You can't cure a creature like that, Tony. It can be made to work alongside you, but don't EVER get complacent and let your guard down."

"I disagree." Tony was furious. Mostly furious at his injuries and how he couldn't successfully murder Nick Fury right now, but still furious. "The Hulk saved my life. If he were just some dumb beast..." He coughed violently. "And you didn't see...didn't see him in there. It wasn't mindless fury. He had a reason to be angry. He had a reason to-" Tony stopped. He'd be damned if he told Fury what exactly happened.

Nick Fury shrugged, standing up again. "Bruce just barely calmed down, so he'll come in and say goodbye before we ship him off to home base. There is one positive of all this. You can't come up with any brilliant plans for his escape in a hospital bed." Without another word, he left the room.

Tony just grinned.

Shows what YOU know, asshole.

* * *

He was strangely calm as he packed his bags.

There was no reason to get upset. Bruce felt guilt, sorrow, hatred for himself, and all those things almost 24 hours a day. And he had warned Tony, over and over, that this would happen. Pepper had warned him. Natasha and Clint had warned him. What had happened was just the manifestation of karma. You poke at the bull long enough, you'll get the horns.

But Bruce swallowed the lump in his throat heavily, and tears threatened to spill over anyway. Tony may be stupid sometimes, but for the first time in a long time, Bruce had felt...welcome. Wanted. Like someone loved...He shook his head. Do NOT go there, Banner. You'll make it worse.

Nick Fury patted his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, doc. You know that. trying to control the Hulk is near impossible." He offered a smile. "Besides, you can still work on a cure onboard our ship. I promise. You won't lose any time."

Bruce merely shrugged. "Thanks." His voice sounded hollow and tinny in his ears. "At least in your cage I can't hurt anyone."

Another cage. Another restraint. Another group of people so terrified of him that they won't even be able to look him in the eye on his best day.

Bruce really wished he had kept his gun.

He was led into the infirmary, and grimaced again. He wanted to scream. Tony was a mess. More than a mess, he was lucky to be alive at all. Bruce dropped his dufflebag and covered his eyes. "Oh my god...Tony, I-"

"Oh shut up." Tony waved him over as best he could, maneuvering his arm around the sling and the neck brace that held him down. "I don't want to hear another word about this. Yeah, it's shitty. But that's far from important. Bruce, they want to lock you up in-"

"The SHIELD aircraft. I know. And Tony, for ONCE, listen to them." Those tears he fought against made an appearance. "LOOK at you. I very nearly killed you! How-How could you possibly still want me around you, let alone in you house?" He took his glasses off and wiped his eyes. "Just this once, listen to Nick, okay? For me? If I killed you, I could never live with myself. I...you're my best friend."

Tony smiled softly, taking his hand. "Shut up with all that. Just don't. Don't even start. It was my fault, Bruce. And...I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me that night." He coughed. "I didn't mean...Well, I meant it. I just don't know WHAT I meant by it. and I'm sorry." Tony motioned for him to come closer. "But I've got a plan, Brucey boy. When they load you up, JARVIS will take control of the jet. It will begin to malfunction. In the craziness, you grab a parachute and you get your ass back here."

Bruce shook his head. "Tony, that's breaking at least ten laws! I can't-you-you cannot be SERIOUS right now!"

"Serious as a heart attack." And his face showed he meant it. "They are NOT locking you up again. Not on my watch. You will stay here, with me, or I'll make sure I die. That's a promise."

His eyes widened. "You're insane."

"Insane about you." Tony batted his eyelashes, and giggled weakly. "But no, for real, do it. Or I'll send Rhodey out to break you out. Guy owes me a favor."

Bruce didn't respond to that. Nick and a bunch of men in riot gear had come to escort him out. Tony gave one last squeeze of his hand before he was torn away.

* * *

Twelve hours later, a very tired and very dirty Bruce Banner knocked on the door of the Avengers tower.

It opened immediately.

"Welcome home, sir.

* * *

A/N: YAY ANGST! :D once again, I love all you who review. It's so much fun to know I'm not alone in my Brony goodness.


	5. Chapter 5

Instance #5

Agent Hill knew when to avoid Nick Fury.

This was one of those times.

He slammed his fist on the table with a sickening CRACK, causing the operatives and various soldiers to jump. "Are you honestly telling me, honestly looking me in the goddamn eye, and telling me that you didn't bother to scan the jet after landing? Or before takeoff? Or at any point after landing on Stark's turf?" His dark skin flushed slightly from rage. "You KNOW he has a grudge against me and everyone in SHIELD! YOU KNOW he was against us taking Dr. Banner! AND you know good and goddamn well that if he knew we were on our way, WHICH HE DID, he would go out of his way to fuck with us! So, show of hands, who in this room did NOT screw this up?" Not a single one of the soldiers raised their hands, instead choosing to sit there and wallow in embarrassment. You had to hand it to Fury, he knew how to knock the wind out of someone's sails. "That's what I thought. Now I don't care how you do it, but I want both Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark in my line of vision in under 48 hours, or everyone on board is FIRED."

"Now, MOVE!"

* * *

Natasha and Clint had left for a few days to handle a small rash of pirates in Somalia, insisting on taking them on alone.

When they returned, the Avengers were in chaos.

Pepper was furious, Steve was confused and also pretty pissed off, Bruce had locked himself in the lab and refused to come out, and Tony had gained an unhealthy relationship with pain pills. And had also gotten beaten so badly his face resembled a pepperoni pizza.

Also Thor was there.

Natasha leaned heavily against the door frame and rubbed her head. "Can't we just turn around and go back to Somalia? Please?" She begged Clint with her eyes.

He sighed. "I wish. But apparently something big went down."

She followed him in reluctantly, giving Thor a small smile. "So, care to fill us in on what happened? Why are you back, anyway?"

The demigod nodded to her in greeting. "I sensed that I was needed, so I returned. And not a moment too soon. They are all of them angry at each other." He sighed. "From what was told to me, the good doctor lost control the other night and severely injured Tony. Director Fury sent men to take him from the premises, but Tony interfered and brought him back."

Natasha REALLY wanted to be in Somalia right now. It was much simpler. "So Nick is pissed with Tony, Banner's pissed at Tony, Pepper's pissed at Tony, Tony's pissed at everyone, and Steve is just confused. Fantastic." She gave Thor an exasperated look. "And where do we fit into all this?"

"I do not know." In the other room, Pepper had begun to yell again, grabbing the bottle of pain pills away from Tony and throwing them in his face. Tony, despite being mostly incapacitated, managed to say something hurtful enough to send her running from the room in tears. Oh joy. "All I do know is that Banner has been slipping in his control lately, and though he hasn't said, I assume it has to do with something Tony did or said."

"Great." Clint motioned for her, and she joined him as he walked into Tony's recovery room. Tony was muttering expletives under his breath, trying in vain to pick up the pills that had scattered all over the bed. She coughed loudly. "Well congratulations, Tony. You managed to single-handedly murder whatever camaraderie we might've had. And you made your girlfriend cry." She sat next to him and gave him a look. "You haven't been this out of control since two years ago. What's going on?"

Tony grunted, giving up on reaching the pills. "Hey could you be a doll and pick those up? With a compound fracture in my arm, it's a little impossible for me."

Natasha growled. "I'll fracture your head if you don't answer the question."

He rolled his eyes. "How lady-like. If you must know, things blew up mostly without my help."

"I really doubt that."

Tony looked away. "Alright, alright. So I may've pissed the Hulk off. I admit that. I didn't mean to, but-"

"What did you do?" Clint leaned against the wall. "I thought you two were bosom buddies."

A pained look flashed across Tony's face. Quietly, he said, "Yeah, we were."

That was very odd. Natasha carefully patted his good arm. "Tell us?"

Tony looked at them suspiciously. "And you care all of a sudden because….why exactly?" A not so gentle pat to his bad arm shut him up. "Ok alright already! Geez, and you wonder why I want those pain pills!" He grunted, attempting to pull himself up in the bed. "So….I….I did something to Bruce that I….shouldn't have. It was stupid of me. Very stupid. I ruined everything and made him angry and upset and confused and it's my fault! I get that!" He put his head back down, panting slightly. "But Nick was looking for a reason to lock him up. He took advantage of Bruce's lapse in control to take him. I couldn't…. I wasn't gonna just lie here and let him lock up my best…." Tony looked away.

Clint widened his eyes. "….Bruce's your best friend. So you directly disobeyed Fury in order to keep him free." Tony nodded. Clint tapped his chin thoughtfully for a moment before continuing. "And I assume Banner wanted to go with Nick."

"He felt guilty."

"Exactly." Natasha smiled. She loved it when Clint was analytical. "So he's upset that you made him stay, where he feels he's broken everyone's trust. That's why he's upset." He frowned slightly. "But then, how does Pepper fit into all this? Why is she so angry?"

Tony scoffed. "What ISN'T she angry about? She's mad that I got hurt. She's mad I let him stay. She's REALLY mad that I keep taking more than the prescribed dose-"

"Yeah, don't do that, Tony."

"-And she's mad because she thinks I cheated on her, which I didn't and is a big fat lie." He tried his best to look pissed off, but with how injured he was, he just looked pathetic.

"Cheated on her?" Natasha perked up. Tony was never very faithful, always flirting with other girls, so whatever he did this time must've been bigger than usual to set Pepper off.

Tony shook his head. "That's private."

* * *

Steve knocked on the door to the lab. "Doctor? Can I come in?"

On the other side of the glass, a very sleep-deprived Bruce looked up dully from whatever machine he was making. Someday Steve planned to ask how things worked in there, but right now he had a mission. Bruce shook his head. "Too dangerous, Cap. Better stay out there."

Steve set his jaw. "I'm not leaving until we talk, Doctor." Bruce tried to ignore him, but Steve just pounded on the glass some more.

With an exasperated groan, the doctor reluctantly opened the door. "Make it quick. I don't want anyone else in the hospital."

"Don't worry. Thor's here, so we're pretty protected from the Hulk." Bruce seemed surprised to hear this, and Steve smiled. "He just got here, so don't worry. He'll come say hello soon."

Bruce sighed. "What do you want, Steve?" He didn't seem angry. Just tired.

"It's about Tony."

"I'm working on recalibrating his nanobot project to speed up his recovery." Bruce turned away, trying to pretend to be interested in what he was doing. "If I get it up and running, Tony will be back to full health and strength in two weeks instead of 10."

Steve put a hand on the smaller man's shoulder. "That's not what I meant."

Bruce frowned. "Then I don't want to talk about Tony."

"It wasn't your fault, Bruce", Steve said quietly. It was obvious the poor doctor was very shaken by what had happened. And Steve knew the brotherly bond he and Tony had, so it had to be harder. "Tony doesn't blame you for anything-"

"WELL HE SHOULD!" Bruce slammed his fist on the table, causing various things to fly off. Steve backed away a little, readying himself just in case. Bruce tore his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. "He's a goddamn idiot for making me stay! Look, even you, Captain America, are scared of me! If he had half a brain he'd be just as scared!" Tears rolled down his cheeks. "I should've stayed in the Philippines. I should've refused to come here. I should've-I don't know, ANYTHING but this!"

Steve didn't know what to do. Once, before all this drama started, he had seen Tony talk a distraught Bruce down from Hulking out, and had been amazed. But he wasn't Tony, and he didn't know how. Weakly, he reached out to the doctor. "Calm down. I just want to talk."

Bruce had turned away, trying to hide the fact he was crying. "You don't get it Steve. For the first time in my life, I felt wanted. Like I could be normal here, with all of you, with….with him." He wiped his eyes again. "But then he had to go and do something as stupid as that, and then not even bother to-"

Steve frowned. "As stupid as what?"

A long pause. "….He kissed me."

His eyes flew open wide. Wasn't that what Pepper had been crying about that night? Hadn't he brushed it off as impossible because it COULDN'T happen? And now, here Bruce was, confirming it happened. Steve felt like someone had punched him. "He…what?"

Bruce sounded even more miserable than before (a feat Steve didn't think was possible). "Oh I'd gotten upset by what Natasha had said, and he came in here to comfort me. And then, out of nowhere, he kissed me. I don't know why. I was too embarrassed and surprised to stick around to ask. But then we ignored each other, and my nightmares started again, and th-then I lost control, and-" He held his head roughly, trying not to lose it. "-And when I wake up, t-they say I almost KILLED him, and-"

All of a sudden, it made sense. Tony had, in his drunken stupidity, broken the trust Bruce had in him. No wonder things had blown up. Steve felt a righteous fury building in his chest. "Bruce, what Tony did was wrong. You don't have to feel guilty about that." He stood up. "I will personally see to it he pays for such an immoral act."

Bruce gave him a very long, very confused look, before the corners of his mouth turned up and he chuckled quietly. "Cap, it's not the 40s anymore. You might want to sit down for this, but men kissing men happens all the time nowadays."

"Huh?"

"Thank you Steve." Bruce was full on smiling now, and he patted his back. "At the very least, you cheered me up." He grabbed the syringe containing the nanobots and walked out the door.

Steve just stood there, alone and confused. "What the hell just happened?"

* * *

Slipping in and out of consciousness was like a very fun carnival ride.

The full body tingle was just the icing on the cake.

If Tony had known painkillers would be this fun, he would've gotten addicted years ago. Hell, he'd even give up drinking for this. Maybe.

He was on his way back up when he heard the door open and a figure sit down next to him. He blearily opened his eyes, and for a second, he thought it was Bruce. Tony smiled weakly. "Hi honey. I thought you'd never come."

The person who looked like Bruce sighed in a very Bruce-like manner. His voice was very faint and far off, but it sounded like Bruce as well. "I'm not in the mood for your jabs, Tony. Hold still, I need to make the injection."

"Needles?" That woke him up. "Oh no, I HATE needles. Take it away."

Turns out, it WAS Bruce! Tony grinned stupidly, still not totally with it. Bruce shook his head. "In the famous words of Tony Stark, grow a pair." He carefully prepped the needle, which was at least three times too large for his liking, and readied it. "Now hold still."

Tony wriggled and thrashed as much as he could, though it made him whimper in pain. "Noooo… Bruce, can we just NOT do this? Please?" He put on his most winning smile. "I love you, don't hurt me."

Bruce was not in a very sympathetic mood. "Stop moving or I'll restrain you." Boy, he was a doctor in every way possible wasn't he? Holding his arm steady, Bruce put the syringe against his battered skin. "It helps not to look at it, Tony." Bruce stuck it in as gently as he could, but it made no difference. Tony yelped. "Focus on the wall or on me or anything but the needle."

"It's like getting stung by a five foot bee!" Tony tried to stay calm, but whatever was in that syringe felt like fire ants crawling slowly through his veins and he shuddered. "What the hell is that anyway?"

"Nanobots." Bruce was nonchalant about it, and it irritated Tony. "I modified the nanobots you already had to facilitate fast healing. You should be up and running again in a week or so, IF you stop taking pain medication."

Tony groaned. "I hate you, and your entire family."

"My family's dead. That won't work." Tony immediately regretted saying that, and turned to apologize, but it looked like Bruce didn't care either way about it. He was dressing the injection point and changing various bandages on Tony's face. His face was set, emotionless, and very focused. Tony had to admire his friend again.

"….Bruce?"

"Hmm?"

"….I thought you hated me." It wasn't a joke. Tony honestly thought he'd messed up far too badly.

Bruce paused a little, then shrugged. "I don't. End of discussion." He sighed. "You ARE a moron, though."

Tony grinned. "That's not news."

"Nick Fury will be back, Tony." Bruce's concentration fell a little. "And when he comes back, I'll have to go back with him. I don't want you complaining or throwing a fit or making plans to 'save' me. If you respect me at all, you'll do this for me." He finished up, and with a heavy sigh, he sat back in the chair and gave him a pleading look. "Please Tony. The only one who doesn't think I'm a monster is you. And I'm flattered, but you're wrong. So when he comes, I'm going with him. Okay?"

"No." Tony grunted, pulling himself up to a sitting position and GLARED at him. "You are not giving up, not on my watch. Bruce, the only reason you lost control was because I was stupid. Well I'll stop being stupid. I'll do things right, and everything can be like they were before. We'll do grand experiments together and you won't have to be put in Fury's zoo."

Bruce shook his head. "They can't be like they were. You kissed me. That changed everything."

Tony frowned and grabbed his hand. "Well what if it…didn't?"

He jerked his head up, surprised. "What?"

"What if it didn't change anything?" Tony wasn't sure if he wasn't still doped up or not but he couldn't stop now. "What if it just…..was another experiment?" He smiled hopefully. "I mean….well, you know."

Bruce had flushed bright red, and fidgeted in his seat. "Um, well, because you've got Pepper. And I'm not….a-and you're not…..a-are you?"

"Just don't." Tony had gone nuts, but he didn't care. Whatever those nanobots were doing, he already felt a little better. He sat up a little straighter and held tight to Bruce's arm. "Pepper will be fine. She understands the scientific process. And this is a problem we both have to work out. So, therefor, experimentation is an absolute necessity. And who knows? We might find it's a success." Tony's face softened a little. "To be kind of honest, it's an experiment I've wanted to work on since….um, the bridge."

Bruce half coughed, half laughed in shock. It was obvious all this was hard for him to swallow. "The day we met? Are you serious?" He shook his head. "Tony, all this is…This is insane. Everyone I ever…'experiment' with gets hurt. And I've hurt you enough as it is."

Tony shrugged. "That's just going to be a variable we work out." He held out his hand. "Are you in?"

Bruce studied Tony's face, that wonderful brain of his going a mile a minute, before pushed his hand away. For a horrible moment, Tony thought Bruce was going to reject it. But what happened next was completely out of nowhere.

Leaning over, Bruce gently planted a kiss on Tony's lips, then stood up. "There. we're even." His face was still bright red, but he was smiling at least. "When you're well enough to walk, meet me in the lab."

As he walked out, Tony couldn't help but grin.

The first experiment was a success.

* * *

A/N: one more chapter to go guys :) Tony's done forcing, I think it's Brucey's turn.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Last chapter! I gotta say, I am touched in many ways at how much you all liked it :) thank you all for reading and reviewing, and I look forward to writing another Avengers fic. Because the Brony romance can't be contained in just one fic!

here we go!

* * *

Once Tony was well enough to get up and walk around, an emergency Avengers meeting was called.

On the one hand, Tony was thrilled that they finally got to break in the brand new meeting room, which resembled a small SHIELD HQ, with holographic panels lining the walls and the computer linked up with JARVIS and his own personal web system. They had the potential to have eyes everywhere, and it was more accurate than anything the army had. It was the crown jewel of the Avengers tower, and Tony was more than a little proud.

On the other hand, though, the meeting was about him.

Bruce had insisted on the cane. Tony had complained at first, but now that he was used to walking with it, he could imagine he was someone like Howard Hughes, or some kind of very important businessman (which, of course, he was). It looked almost dignified, and he had tricked it out to have a mechanism that would call his suit to him. Still, he was very aware of how Thor had given him a sympathetic look, or how Clint had snickered behind his back. Steve hadn't even bothered being subtle, poking fun with a "who's the old man now?". Tony hated each and every one of them right now. He sat down with a little difficulty, wincing as his legs protested. "Alright, let's get this over with."

Natasha stood up. "I don't think any of us have to tell you why we're here." She glared at Tony. "Now, I don't know what you did, but your actions have irrevocably pissed Director Fury off. See, there's a difference between being rebellious because it's cute, and being downright belligerent with your actions. I think we all deserve an explanation for what's going on here." She turned to Bruce, who, once again, looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here. "Doctor? Care to give your side?"

Bruce fidgeted a little as he rose to his feet. "Um…well…there was an…altercation between me and Tony. A misunderstanding, if you will. And I lost control. B-But we've figured it out, honest!" He smiled slightly. "We're good now, so there's no need for-"

Steve raised his hand. Tony couldn't be sure, but he thought a look of disgust passed over the captain's face. "That's not the whole story. Bruce, you know this." All the color drained from the doctor's face. Tony narrowed his eyes. He DIDN'T. "From what Dr. Banner's told me, Mr. Stark performed an immoral act upon his person." Steve narrowed his eyes at Tony. "He forced a kiss upon Dr. Banner. Frankly, the Hulk's rage was well-deserved."

Tony groaned and put his head on the table. "Bruce, you goddamn snitch. I hate you."

All eyes were on him, and a hush fell over the room. Finally, Clint sighed heavily and grabbed his wallet. "Alright Nat, you win."

"Wait, what?"

Natasha grinned triumphantly and grabbed the 20 dollar bill. "HA. See, I told you!" She poked Tony hard in the ribs. "I thought you had a crush on him. The way you're always standing up for Bruce…Tony, you are NOT subtle in any way."

Clint just grumbled to himself. "I've got to stop betting against her."

Bruce removed his glasses and rubbed his temples. "So, you knew from the beginning."

Natasha shrugged. "Well I knew Tony liked you. But Bruce, do you…um…you know?" She tilted her head in confusion. "Do you like him back?"

Tony straightened a little. He'd never really gotten an answer to this from Bruce. Bruce faltered, hesitated, then sighed heavily and shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, I like him a lot. He's my best friend." His face was turning red again. "As of right now, we're approaching this as a science experiment. If something happens, if we have a reaction, then we'll…we'll just go from there." He smiled a little at Tony. "But I cannot jump to conclusions about an unfinished project."

"So you're dating then?" Clint, having gotten over his annoyance, was very interested. "Wow. You know, this might be good for you, Bruce. Have someone who trusts you completely, you know? Might help you out."

Here Natasha shook her head. "But the fact of the matter is, Bruce lost control over a kiss. What will happen if he stays unbalanced? I mean, no offense Doc, but no matter how much we might like you, I'm still very jumpy around the Hulk." There were some nods around the table.

Tony growled loudly and forced himself to a standing position. "See, and this is why he needs me. He needs someone who will protect him from people's small-minded fear!" He turned to Natasha and glared daggers at her. "None of you have spent time with the Hulk like I have."

Steve shook his head. "I don't think getting the snot beaten out of you counts as 'spending time', Tony."

He ignored him. "He's not just some mindless beast, alright? He saved my goddamn life! Why won't anyone listen to me when I say this? He could've let me fall, and done nothing, but aside from Thor, none of you assholes were really jumping to save me." Bruce was trying his very best to melt into the background and disappear, mortified beyond comprehension. Tony grabbed his cane and hobbled around the table to him, putting an arm around the doctor's shoulders. "I don't just like Bruce, you know." Bruce stared up at him, shocked. "I like the Hulk too. So both are under my protection. And if you don't like that, then you can just get the hell out of my house."

Thor shook his head. "Calm thyself, Tony. We are not going anywhere."

Tony froze. "Say what?"

Natasha nodded. "Look, when I said I'm jumpy, it means I'm jumpy. It didn't mean I was suggesting we hand bruce over to Fury. Far from it." She smiled. "Most of us have been talking about this to each other in secret over the week, and we all agreed, Steve included, that Nick can't take Bruce."

Steve nodded. "That's right. I may highly, HIGHLY, disagree with what you did, but Bruce is our friend. And having the Hulk on our team means that we work around the danger and find a way to, if not control the beast, then teach him who is a friend and who is not. And I don't trust Fury at all."

He hadn't thought of that. Tony gave Bruce a look. "My God…Nick knew the whole time that you were here."

"And he waited for something to set me off before coming to collect me." Bruce stood up quickly. "It wasn't for my protection at all. Nick wanted to have his cake and eat it too. Keep me locked up until you guys needed me, and in the meantime use me as a weapon." He frowned. "I can't believe I didn't think of this!"

The others were on their feet in seconds. Thor clenched his fist. "Will we always be puppets to him? "

"You don't know Fury." Clint grabbed his bow, snapping it open. "People aren't expendable to him, but he doesn't tend to mourn when they're used. And in his mind, the Hulk's just some dumb animal at his disposal. He doesn't care if Bruce gets hurt by it."

A red hot fuse that had been boiling in Tony's brain erupted. Letting go of his cane, he half ran, half limped out of the room and made a beeline for his suits. Nick was going to pay. He was going to SUFFER for this. And not just on Bruce's behalf, either. No one made Tony Stark into a puppet, or a soldier, or some kind of attack dog that was expected to sit back and be docile and obedient about shit like this. Pain flared in his legs and neck and, well, everywhere, but he didn't care. Pressing a button, he struggled into his suit, ignoring JARVIS's pleas to step down, to not get any more injured than he already was.

"Tony!"

He turned stiffly, shaking his head as Bruce ran in, glasses askew and hair disheveled. "No can do, Brucey boy. Nick Fury's got this coming to him."

Bruce grabbed his shoulders and tried to pry him from the suit. "No, Tony. You're-You're not well enough, you can't fight, d-don't do this, PLEASE-"

"BRUCE." The last of his armor clicked together over his arms, and Tony rubbed a metallic finger over his cheek. "It'll be okay. No one's getting you or anyone else here. Just trust me, and stay low." His faceplate fell into place, and the familiar screen flickered to life as Iron Man, not Tony, stepped out onto the balcony and sped off into the night.

It was Iron Man that Nick Fury was going to answer to for this.

And it was Iron Man that was going to kick his ass.

* * *

"Sir!"

Nick recognized the panic in Agent Hill's voice. He rushed over to her panel. "Talk to me."

Her face was white. "Sir, they're…they're coming at us."

He felt his chest tighten. "Dear god, they're going to attack us."

* * *

Bruce had pretended he wanted to go fight, but really, when the others insisted that he stay behind, he was only too happy to oblige.

Pepper walked over and took a seat next to him, handing him a cup of tea. "To soothe your nerves," she said, hardly looking at him. Her eyes were on the screens. JARVIS had very helpfully patched them into the Iron Man suit's outer cameras, so they could see everything that was happening. She held her cup so tightly all the blood had left her hands.

Bruce offered her a sad smile. "He's going to be ok, Pepper."

She nodded slightly. "I know." Bruce wasn't convinced, and apparently neither was she. "I just…I just wish I had apologized to him before he left. I wish we had reconciled." A tear escaped her eye and she quickly wiped it away. "I don't care if he loves you, I just wanted him to know I'd always be there."

Guilt washed over him. Bruce scooted closer to her, laying a hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Pepper. I ruined everything."

To his surprise, she shook her head. "No, it wasn't you. He was always ogling other women, so I kind of figured being in love with him would mean he'd be unfaithful someday. And you wouldn't be the first 'experiment' he's had." She laughed bitterly. "Him and Rhodey…Oh don't look so surprised. They'd been friends for years. But that experiment didn't end well, so they decided it never happened. And so did I."

On the screen, the looming figure of the SHIELD flagship entered their view. Nick Fury's voice was yelling at them to stand down, or they'd be terminated. Tony was flashing both of his middle fingers at him, and ducked away just in time to miss the first round of machine gun fire. She tensed. Deciding she needed it more, Bruce handed her his tea. "For nerves." She rolled her eyes slightly, but took it, taking a long sip of it. He sighed. "If…if it helps at all, Pepper…You're better for him than I'd ever be."

"Mmm, that's where you're wrong." Finally turning to face him, she gave him a warm, genuine smile. "You calm him down, give him someone outside of himself to care about and protect. Me, I'm always out of the line of fire. I'm capable of handling myself, so he never really worries about me. But you…" She shrugged. "He worried for weeks after he heard you'd attempted suicide. That's why he tracked you. He is, for the first time in his life, really concerned for another person's safety. So…I guess if it makes him a better person, I could live with your…'experiment'".

An explosion caught their attention, and they both snapped back to the screen. Captain America was holding off the SHIELD soldiers, both protecting his teammates from them and protecting the soldiers from his teammates. No one wanted anyone to die tonight. The explosion had been Thor calling the thunder down against the back end of the aircraft, causing a few jet engines to explode. Nick Fury had joined the fight, getting a few good hits in against Iron Man before tucking away to try and hit Hawkeye. Bruce winced. "This isn't right. Tony shouldn't punish all of SHIELD for this." Another explosion, this time a well aimed bazooka blast towards Black Widow, who just barely had time enough to dodge it. Hawkeye had lost it completely and shot the offending agent right between the eyes with an arrow. All hell broke loose after that.

"Bring out the big guns!" Nick was calling to his soldiers as he grabbed a weapon that looked illegal in most states. "Fire with extreme prejudice! The Avengers have gone hostile!"

Bruce gripped the edge of the table and leaned forward a little. Captain America was still trying in vain to avoid bloodshed, but just ended up getting shot for his troubles. He limped away, taking refuge behind Thor, who had taken his shield to cover them both. Black Widow and Hawkeye were attempting to stall the soldiers, making a dangerous wall of fire arrows and bullets that seemed too dangerous to bypass.

And Iron Man?

He had Nick Fury locked in a fight to the death, but Bruce noticed that something wasn't right. Even with the suit on, Tony was too weak and too injured to put up the fight he could have, and Fury knew this. It was that moment when Bruce realized it was no accident that Nick Fury was the director of SHIELD. He was an unparalleled fighter, very cutthroat and resourceful, and surprisingly fast. He had deliberately cornered Iron Man in a particularly reflective corner of the deck, so every time Iron Man attempted to blast him, Nick would just duck out of the way and he'd be hit by his own blasts. The headache was beginning, and Bruce could hear the Hulk roaring in his ears. He shook his head hard. Not yet. Just let me get us there, and then you can be free. That seemed to please the other guy, who quieted himself in the recesses of Bruce's mind. he stood suddenly. "Pepper, do you think JARVIS could get me up there?"

She stared at him for a second, then nodded quietly. "Tony's private jet is fully automated. Just punch in the code and you're good." She squeezed his hand. "Get him back in one piece, okay?"

He nodded.

"I will".

* * *

There were precious few moments in Tony's life where he would willingly admit that he was being stupid.

Not telling Pepper about the palladium had been one. Underestimating the Hulk had been two.

Taking on Fury alone, as injured as he was, probably counted as the stupidest thing he'd ever done.

He could see now how badly he'd messed up. Every joint in his body screamed in pain, and various warnings were flashing on his visor. Falling to one knee, Tony attempted to regain his breath and focus, but just found himself at the end of Fury's gun. Fury sighed. "Call the attack off, Tony. End all this. I don't want to have to execute some of the world's mightiest fighters, but you keep attacking us and I will."

Tony just laughed. "Shoot the goddamn gun first. I'm not letting you have Bruce as long as I live."

Nick shook his head. "You're too smart for your own good." The gun locked into place, at the ready. "I wasn't going to lock him away forever you know. Just until we could replicate the power of the Hulk for ourselves."

"Yeah because that's worked out great for people in the past." Tony tried to struggle to his feet, but failed. "Bruce never would've cooperated with that."

Nick shrugged. "We have ways."

Thunder crashed in the distance, and Tony forced himself up slightly. "If you want this to stop, you either give up on him or kill me. There's no in-between."

Nick had smiled smugly and said something, but Tony hadn't heard it because all of a sudden there was a horrible noise and the world went black.

Well, so this is what it's like to be shot, he thought to himself. Was he dead? Possibly. Tony had never really thought about what happened after death, just that he never wanted to find out. But now that he was here, it was decidedly more underwhelming than he'd ever imagined. There was no heaven, no hell, just black. And the sounds of something roaring in fury….

wait, what?

Tony opened an eye hesitantly. The black had been something thrown over his eye holes in the mask, not death like he had thought. He almost started crying from joy. Pulling it off and examining it, it was actually…Fury's jacket? The roars continued, and Tony looked up towards them.

There was the Hulk, holding a screaming Nick Fury over the side of the ship, threatening to toss him over. Tony's jaw DROPPED. Nick kicked and scratched at the large green hand that held him, but he might as well have been a mosquito biting at an elephant. "OKAY! I'll call it off! Banner, do you hear me? I'll call the whole thing off! Just put me down!"

The Hulk grunted angrily, shooting Tony a look as if to ask "is that good enough?"

Tony made a mental note to marry Bruce later. He nodded. "Alright big guy, put him down. He's learned his lesson." Obediently, almost gently, The Hulk dropped Fury back on the bridge, and picked Tony up, cradling him in his huge arms.

That was definitely Bruce, Tony thought to himself looking up into the creature's huge, grinning face.

In that instance, Tony admitted to himself that maybe, just maybe, he loved Bruce Banner.

* * *

"Well first of all, congrats on not completely decimating my ship."

Nick Fury was battered, bruised, but he'd been worse. So had the ship. All in all, with how powerful the Avengers were, things could be a lot worse. Only one casualty, which Agent Barton would have to be punished for. He'd already turned himself in for it, stating that it was out of reflex and out of protectiveness for Agent Romanov. He didn't seem too sorry about it though. He sighed heavily, and folded his arms. "I really am within my rights to have you all tried for treason. Especially you, Mr. Stark." he turned to Tony's image on the screen, who REALLY didn't seem sorry. "You directly disobeyed my orders, not once or twice, but multiple times. Then you got your team to do the same. You even threatened my person with death." He shot a glare at Banner, who for once didn't shrink away. "Gimme one good reason why I shouldn't bomb your tower."

Surprisingly, Capt. Rogers stepped forward. "Because with all due respect sir, you threaten one member, you threaten us all." His noble face darkened. "Dr. Banner is a valued member and a good friend of us all, and we aren't going to let you exploit his good nature for some sadistic experiment."

"I never would've helped you anyway", Banner chimed in, glaring. "That mode of thinking is the reason the Abomination existed in the first place. Greed. You think you could handle what the Hulk has to offer, just like they did. Well you'd be wrong, dead wrong, and it would've blown up in your face. Frankly, we did you a favor." Fury noted that Tony was staring at Banner with a huge grin of pride on his face. If he didn't know any better…

Tony piped in. "Besides, in case you didn't notice, we DIDN'T turn you into a pancake with an eyepatch. You should be groveling at our feet begging for forgiveness, but since we're mostly benevolent, we'll forgive you this once." Stark was enjoying every minute of this. "You can stay in your little fortress and give us missions and all that, but don't think for a single nano-second that you own any of us. Because we can, and will, attack again. And maybe next time, I'll let the big guy drop you."

And with that, the screens went black. Nick Fury rubbed his temples hard, staving off the mother of all headaches. There was no way he'd be able to explain this away to the council, but it was obvious that his team wasn't his anymore. They'd come together alright, just not how he'd wanted them to.

Agent Hill gave him a look. "Well, at least the Avengers initiative was a success, sir."

Nick just glared at her. "Shut up."

* * *

This time, it was a full on celebration, and everyone had something to drink.

Even if Tony still had to force Bruce. "C'mon, you'll like it!" He grinned, shoving a shot of tequila in the doctor's hand. "Just down it and suck on a lime. It's fun!"

Bruce groaned. "Tony-"

"Come oooooooon!"

Clint laughed uproariously from the other table, where he and Natasha were locked in a shot contest. "Hey-Hey Tony! Guess what! I'm taking shots!" He collapsed into a fit of giggles. "Get it? Hawkeye, taking shots? It's funny!"

Bruce smiled. "You really want me to be like that?"

"Course I do." Tony poured himself a shot and toasted him. "To the Hulk, for saving my bacon again." Defeated, Bruce toasted back and downed the drink, making a face. Tony snickered. "Lime! Bite the lime!"

He obliged, but the look didn't go away. "God that is disgusting! How do you stand it?" He dashed to the bar, grabbing a glass of water from Steve, who had partaken in one whiskey sour, complained it was "better in the 40s", then resigned himself to designated buzzkill. He drank it gratefully, trying to get the taste out of his mouth. Bruce shook his head. "Your taste buds must be totally broken, Tony. This is absolutely the worst."

Tony leaned on him heavily, half from being drunk and half from his legs still hurting. "You're as big a buzzkill as Capt. Buzzkill over here."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Go to hell, Tony."

Pepper appeared from seemingly nowhere, grabbing Tony's drink. "Alright, I think Iron Man's had plenty." He gave her a look, which she ignored and nodded to Bruce. "He needs a time out."

"Do not." But suddenly he was on the couch in the lounge with his head swimming. This was his favorite part of being drunk, because he always got the giggles. Tony grabbed at Pepper. "hey pretty lady, where you going? the party's right here!"

She smacked him playfully on the arm. "Sober up and maybe I'll come back." She disappeared before Tony could retort with something clever.

Bruce, however, stayed. Tony smiled softly. "Hey big guy, you're not jealous are you?"

Bruce shook his head slightly. "Nah. You and Pepper are soul mates. Me, I'm just the third wheel."

"Don't talk like that." Tony sat up, grabbing Bruce and pulling him onto the couch with him, ignoring the other man's protests and wrapping his arms around Bruce's waist. "You know, you really did save my life back there. I kinda think I love you right now."

"You're drunk." But Bruce was smiling this time. Gently, hesitantly, he brushed some of Tony's hair out of his eyes. Tony felt his heart catch in his throat. It was such a small gesture, but coming from him, it could've been a diamond ring. That Bruce felt this comfortable… Bruce sighed quietly. "What happened to that 'experiment' we were supposed to be doing? Going a little fast don't you think?"

he shrugged. "Don't care. I love you NOW." He leaned in to kiss him.

Bruce stopped him, shaking his head. "Just don't, Tony." Tony gave him a hurt look, and Bruce smiled shyly. "Look, all this is new and strange and terrifying. And I'm not going to go with it if you keep trying to force yourself in. If this experiment is going to work, we are going at MY pace, understand?"

Tony whined, flopping back on the couch. "Way to kill a moment."

Bruce shrugged and kissed his cheek. "Sometimes the best experiments come from patience. try and be patient, Tony Stark. You might like where it goes."

Tony didn't stay awake for too much longer. And once he was asleep, Bruce gave him another kiss, turned out the light, and walked out.

* * *

THE END


	7. Epilogue

EPILOGUE

"So how does it work now?"

Tony and Pepper had insisted on spending the afternoon alone, and everyone had found convenient reasons to be scarce. Even Bruce had made up some bullshit excuse to leave the tower, disappearing right after breakfast. Pepper had been very grateful to him for saving Tony again, but this was their moment.

Things had to be discussed.

Not that Tony really wanted to. This was a conversation he really, REALLY didn't want to have. Ever. In a perfect world, Pepper, Bruce, and him would live together as a big happy snuggle ball of love and this wouldn't be an issue. But Pepper deserved to hear it from him. She knew, of course. Everyone in the tower knew. Tony hadn't really bothered being subtle, and Bruce had even had to chastise him for public displays of affection. So here he sat, Pepper sitting across from him, and he really didn't know what to say. "How does what work?"

"Us." She lowered her eyes, staring at the ground. "I mean, is there an us anymore, Tony?"

He nodded rapidly. "Of course there is. I can't live without you, Peps." He stroked her arm. "I love you."

She smiled a little. "But you also love him."

Tony shrugged. "Maybe. Possibly. I may've said something like that at one point. Or a couple times. I dunno, it's still a little weird."

Pepper leaned into his shoulder, still not looking at him. "Does that mean there's no chance of us ever settling down and having a family?"

He gave her a look. "You really want me to be a dad?" They both chuckled quietly, and lapsed back into silence. Tony sighed. "Pepper, settling wasn't ever really in the cards. You know that. I'm kind of against settling of any kind, the matrimony kind especially. I never lied to you about that."

"Oh I know." She sounded so miserable. A pang of guilt hit Tony in the chest. "I just….I couldn't help but dream that maybe someday…"

"Hey." Tony took her face in his hands and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. "You deserve nothing less than a great big family and a man to love you every single day of your life. You deserve that. I just can't be that guy for you." It was true. Even with Bruce not in the picture, how could he have ever given Pepper what she wanted? At the best of times, he was conceited. She needed someone to WORSHIP her. "I will always be here for you, and I'll always love you. Okay?"

After a long pause, she sighed and nodded. "I know, Tony. I didn't doubt that." Finally, she smiled her warm, genuine, loving smile and wrapped her arms around his waist. She laughed shortly. "You would make a shit dad, though."

"Gee thanks."

* * *

Somewhere, in the farthest reaches of the cosmos, Loki sat alone, tied to a great rock, screaming in agony.

He hadn't ever known pain like this. With every drop of the Midgard serpent's venom in his eyes, the pain would redouble. He couldn't die. He couldn't ever die. And he'd never go blind. So every fresh wound was to be felt, forever, until he repented of his crimes.

But he never would. He would lie, oh how he'd lie. He'd beg and plead and grovel at Odin's feet until he convinced the great God that he was truly reformed, and then he'd go back to Earth.

He would make every single one of those creatures pay. He would dance in their blood. He would turn them, brother against brother, lover against beloved, until not a single soul was left alive on that miserable hunk of rock.

And the Avengers would be first.

* * *

A/N: Just a small epilogue to 1, tie up Pepper and Tony's relationship in a neat little bow, 2, set the scene for the kind of sequel to this (GET HYPED! :D ), and 3, to offer a huge thank you to everyone who's favorites, reviewed, or sent me lovely messages concerning this fic. I really can't express how much I appreciate it all. I don't have the words. Only one of my fics have ever gotten this much attention, and that happened like two years ago. Much love to every one of my fellow Brony fans (or Science Boyfriends? what's the real term guys?), and I'll see you soon!


End file.
